Besides the Original Fireplace, 208 years ago

Several websites report the open day at the Brontë Birthplace today, April 21, before the refurbishment, the best way to celebrate Charlotte Brontë's 208th anniversary:

The birthplace of the Brontë sisters will open to the public later to allow people to have a look inside before it closes for refurbishment.

The terraced house in Market Street, Thornton, is under public ownership after a community group managed to buy it earlier this month.

Authors Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë, along with brother Branwell, were born there between 1816 and 1820.

The house will open from 11:00 BST on Sunday, the anniversary of Charlotte Brontë's birth.

Steve Stanworth, vice chair of the community group Brontë Birthplace Ltd, said there would be a brass band, an actress playing the role of children's maid, Nancy Garrs, and craft activities for children.

There will also be people on hand to talk about the birthplace near Bradford and its history.

Mr Stanworth said St James's Church would also be open from midday to allow access to the Bronté exhibition, with refreshments available in the community centre.

The community group was able to buy the house after more than 700 people invested in the project.

It was also given significant grants from Bradford City of Culture 2025 and the Community Ownership Fund, under the government's levelling up agenda.

It will now be refurbished and opened to the public in time for Bradford 2025. (Julia Bryson in BBC News)

But before renovations start an open day is to be held at the Market Street property tomorrow (Sunday) from 11am until 4pm, and supporters are welcome to visit. After that, the house will close for major structural works before re-opening next year as a cafe and with rooms to stay or space for events. (...)

Locked and empty for years since closing as a cafe, the house is now numbered 72 to 74 Market Street. Soon visitors will be invited to walk in the sisters' footsteps, to sit in a community cafe beside their original fireplace or to stay in the bedrooms where the young girls slept. There are ambitions to launch in time for Bradford's City of Culture 2025. (Ruby Kitchen in The Yorkshire Post)

Also in Head Topics,  

Bodas.net (Spain) lists two books to give to your partner:

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

Uno de los libros clásicos románticos que sigue de plena actualidad. Se trata de una historia de amor preciosa, protagonizada por Jane Eyre, una niña huérfana quien, tras pasar ocho años en un orfanato, entra a trabajar como institutriz en la casa del señor Rochester, de quien acaba enamorándose. La historia está servida.

Y, por si no has leído Jane Eyre antes, no te haremos spoiler explicándote el final. Aunque sí te adelantamos que su relación sufre muchas idas y venidas, y que no faltan los personajes secundarios que tratan de separar a la pareja protagonista. Para conocer el final tendrás que adquirir antes el libro, pero la compra merecerá realmente la pena, pues Jane Eyre está considerado uno de los mejores libros de amor de todos los tiempos. Y echa cuentas, porque se publicó en 1847... (...)

Cumbres borrascosas, Emily Brontë

Bromas aparte, entre hermanas anda el juego. Y es que Emily Brontë era la hermana de Charlotte Brontë y, como en el caso de Jane Eyre, también publicó su novela en el año 1847. Cumbres borrascosas lo tiene todo para ser un libro de amor de culto: amor, pasión, odio, venganza... No en vano está en la lista de los mejores libros de amor de todos los tiempos.

Ambientada en los sombríos páramos de Yorkshire, sus protagonistas son Heathcliff y Catherine. El primero es un niño abandonado al que el señor Earnshaw lleva a su casa para criarlo y la segunda, su propia hija. Una familia y sus vecinos, los Linton, que también tienen un papel protagonista en la historia. ¿De dónde toma su nombre este libro recomendado de amor? De la finca en que vivía la familia Earnshaw. Un libro de romance que sigue de rabiosa actualidad. (Anna Llopis) (Translation)

The Cuban podcast Literature con Arte devotes its most recent episode to Wuthering Heights:

No se imaginan las ganas que teníamos de hacer este episodio y como nos divertimos haciéndolo. Como no va a ser así si es uno de los libros más clásico no solo de la novela romántica (que está lejos de serlo) sino de toda la literatura universal.

Con su opera prima, la maestra Emily Bronté (sic) nos narra una historia de amor, traiciones, venganzas y maldiciones transgeneracionales que nos harán sujetarnos de la silla y decir, ¡ Wow que librazo ! (Yamaili Almenarez González in Cuba Ahora) (Translation)

Il Foglio (Italy) reviews the National Theatre play Underdog. The Other Other Brontë, In a nutshell, they hate it.

Meglio evitare di essere riscoperte, se riscoperte sta per sberleffate. O forse no, per far leggere alle nuove generazioni il romanzo La signora di Wildfell Hall di Anne Brontë vale la pena di trascinare sotto i riflettori la meno nota delle tre sorelle, facendone la placida vittima dell’ambizione di Charlotte e lasciando sbiadire in secondo piano Emily e il suo Cime tempestose. E’ quello che sta avvenendo in una pièce teatrale sgargiante e di desolante schematismo in scena al National Theatre di Londra, oggetto di recensioni perplesse e degli strali veri e propri dello Spectator, che ha parlato di un “noioso atto di diffamazione” nei confronti delle scrittrici dello Yorkshire. (Cristina Marconi) (Translation)

Il Libraio (Italy) and literature made by women: 

Un caso particolare poi è quello che riguarda le sorelle Brontë, Charlotte, Emily e Anne: tutte e tre pubblicarono romanzi sotto pseudonimo, alcuni dei quali vengono considerati tra i migliori romanzi della letteratura inglese. Tra questi troviamo in particolare Jane Eyre e Cime tempestose: nel primo una giovane ragazza affronta le avversità a cui la vita la sottopone con le proprie forze, scegliendo la via dell’indipendenza in un percorso che la porta ad attraversare drammi, misteri e una tormentata storia d’amore. Nel secondo, invece troviamo personaggi separati da invidia, aspettative sociali e pregiudizi, che per questo scelgono di farsi guidare dalla potenza dei loro sentimenti, anche quando si tratta di vendetta, rabbia o risentimento. (Translation)

El Español (Spain) reviews La Vida en Miniatura by Mariana Sánchez:

El argumento se centra en la aventura más determinante y decisiva en la vida de Dorothea Doods, un personaje cosido con hebras de la mejor literatura de mujeres (María Negroni, George Eliot, Charlotte Brontë, Virginia Woolf,…). A sus casi 60 años, vive en Buenos Aires, sometida a la voluntad de unos padres dominantes y a la sombra de un hermano gemelo siempre ausente. (Pilar Castro) (Translation)

The Telegraph & Argus visits Abbotsford, Walter Scott's country house:

The rooms at Abbotsford were left as Scott kept them - open to the public since early 1833, five months after Scott’s death. Visitor books contain the signatures of many notable writers, including Charles Dickens, Charlotte Brontë and Oscar Wilde. The dramatic entrance hall heaves with coats-of-arms and shields, suits of armour, carved stones and wooden panelling. (Catherine Turnbull)

If you're curious about Charlotte's signature check this old post of the Brontë Parsonage Blog.